The study of simplified technique compared with analytical solution method for calculating the energy consumption loads of four houses having various wall construction

Abstract

A steady-state analysis and a simple dynamic model as simplified methods are developed, and results of energy consumption loads are compared with results obtained using computer to evaluate the analytical solution. Before obtaining simplified model a mathematical model is formulated for the effect of wall mass on the thermal performance of four different houses having various wall construction. This analytical study was motivated by the experimental work of Burch et al. An analytical solution of one-dimensional, linear, partial differential equation for wall temperature profiles and room air temperatures is obtained using the Laplace transform method. Typical Meteorological Year data are processed to yield hourly average monthly values. This study is conducted using weather data from four different locations in the United States: Albuquerque, New mexico; Miami, Florida; Santa Maria, California; and Washington D.C. for both winter and summer conditions. The steady state analysis that does not include the effect of thermal mass can provide an accurate estimate of energy consumption in most cases except for houses #2 and #4 in mild weather areas. This result shows that there is an effect of mass on the thermal performance of heavily constructed house in mild weather conditions. The simple dynamic model is applicable for high cycling rates and accurate values of inside wall temperature and ambient air temperature.